


Stepping into the Lion's Den

by Neurotoxia



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Arguments, Gen, Rufus Shinra's office, work relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2018-01-11 06:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neurotoxia/pseuds/Neurotoxia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Stop treating my company as a bottomless money pit!"</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stepping into the Lion's Den

Being called to the president’s office was never a good thing. Or the vice-president’s office. _Never a good thing_. Particularly not in Reno’s case. 

Reno had spent the last two minutes staring at the door to Rufus Shinra’s office, fiddling with the end of the ponytail slung over his shoulder. He hated being called to Rufu’s office. Granted, he didn’t like dealing with President Shinra himself either, but Rufus gave him the chills at the best of times. He didn’t trust the Shinra heir. Sometimes, he would bet that whenever Rufus looked at him, the man was looking for the best place to shoot or stab him in. Old man Shinra was much easier to handle.

Reno shuffled around some more before he accepted his fate and knocked on the door. A muffled ‘yes’ followed and Reno stepped inside.

Whenever he entered the office, Reno felt like walking into a bad movie. Half-closed shutters only let in little light and aided in throwing dramatic, bold shadows over half of the room. Reno was willing to bet that Rufus did it on purpose to impress people. 

Rufus sat at his desk, twirling a pen between his fingers and looking vaguely bored. In one of the leather chairs in front of the dark abomination Rufus had chosen to call ‘desk’ sat Tseng, tapping a finger against the armrest. His sign of early stages of irritation. Bollocks.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” 

“Yes. Do you know how much a helicopter costs, Reno?” Rufus asked, not even bothering to let Reno sit down.

“A lot?” He decided to play dumb. Reno knew exactly what a helicopter cost, down to the last screw.  
Tseng frowned; he knew the game and wasn’t pleased with it. He was one of the few Reno couldn’t convince that he was slow on the uptake. Reno found it easier to be underestimated; it made for a better surprise.

“Congratulations, Reno -- I see you earned the vice-commander position with your endless wit.”

Tseng outright scowled at that. Of course he did; if Tseng hated anything, it was people questioning his decisions regarding his own staff.

“I thought it was my good looks,” Reno retorted before he could stop himself. Being sarcastic with the big boss wasn’t that bright an idea. 

“Will you shut up, please?” Tseng hissed and Reno snapped his mouth closed. He liked poking the hornets’ nest that was Rufus Shinra with a stick from time to time, but crossing Tseng was stupid. And while Reno liked to act the part, there was a time and place for it. Here and now, definitely not.

“Thank you, Tseng,” Rufus chimed in and smiled like the cat who got the canary. “Now Reno, would you care to explain how a helicopter exploded ten miles outside of Junon without any evidence of it being attacked?”

“Malfunction...sir.” Reno grumbled and shuffled his feet.

“A malfunction? But you signed off the tech log, which suggests there was nothing wrong before takeoff. Shouldn’t one of the company’s top pilots notice a defect that leads to explosion?”

Smug bastard. 

“I didn’t notice any technical defects, sir.”

He wasn’t lying as such. There had been nothing wrong with the _helicopter_. There had been something wrong with Rude’s latest experiment in explosives though. At least he had noticed it before it went off, giving them the chance to jump off with parachutes. But this time, it was Reno’s turn to take the fall. Rude had covered his butt when Reno had been a little overzealous with an interrogation that had cost Shinra leverage against enemies. A dead hostage was a useless hostage. As Reno had already been on the President’s bad side a few times that week, Rude had taken on the blame.

Tseng narrowed his eyes at Reno -- he probably had an inkling of what had really happened. The man was too smart. Not that Rufus was an idiot (it would make his life easier if he were), but Tseng knew his men. He didn’t say anything. Turks always came before Shinra, even if you regularly had tea with the presidents.

“And yet, and yet…” Rufus sighed melodramatically and shuffled some papers on his desk around. Reno felt that Rufus didn’t believe him, but had no proof. “I should take the money for a new one out of your wages, just to teach you to be more careful.”

“Sir, that’s against company policy,” Tseng spoke up, just to be cut off by Rufus.

“I am company policy, Tseng.”

The look Tseng threw across the desk would have sent Reno running, had it been aimed at him. Cold and furious didn’t even begin to describe it. Rufus didn’t look fazed -- possibly because his gaze could go even colder.

“Get out, Reno.”

Reno didn’t need to be told twice. He didn’t want to be around for the showdown that would occur. Two of the cruellest people on the planet trying to one-up each other. No thanks.

“And stop treating my company as a bottomless money pit!”

Leviathan help them when the day came that Rufus could call Shinra _his_ company.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 31_days comunity's prompt "Stop treating my company as a bottomless money pit!" from September 10, 2013


End file.
